Various foot, ankle, and leg injuries occur that result in pain and discomfort, and limit the mobility of the injured person. One type of injury is plantar fasciitis which is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the plantar fascia (i.e., thick tissue on the bottom of the foot) that causes heel pain and disability. More specifically, the plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that covers the bones on the bottom of the foot and extends from the base of the heel bone to each of the toes of the foot. Plantar fasciitis results when lack of ankle joint mobility or lack of arch support causes the flattening of the arch or the spreading of the toes such that sufficient pressure is exerted on the bottom of the foot to cause tears or microtears of the plantar fascia.
A person may also experience excessive pronation of the foot that causes flattening of the medial longitudinal arch. This may also cause increased strain on the plantar fascia and plantar musculature. These issues may be increased when the foot remains pronated, such as during lifting of the heel and toe. Further, during excessive pronation the gastrocnemius-soleus complex and tibialis posterior may contract to slow rotation of the leg and foot pronation. This may contribute to tendinopathy of the Achilles and tibialis posterior tendons.
These various injuries may occur suddenly, or may occur gradually over a period of time. Various devices have been developed to treat these injuries.
Various treatment protocols have been developed to treat these injuries. Plantar fasciitis is often treated by wearing an orthotic designed to heal the condition while permitting the user to remain relatively mobile. The treatment may also include a prescribed stretching program of the lower leg and foot muscles. Another treatment for plantar fasciitis includes the use of supports designed for use when the patient is resting (i.e., when little or no weight is applied to the injured foot). Other plantar fasciitis supports are sized to fit in the person's shoes and worn by the patient during limited activity (e.g., walking to and from bed) as well as when at rest.
Known treatment devices provide for limited stretching, inadequate adjustment or, when provided, the manner of adjustment requires various bulky mechanical devices.